Vietnam – Here, happiness lives in a big stomach

From my point of view, the most amazing in Vietnam is Vietnamese. It would seem that they are unusual? Them and in Moscow in the business markets abound. Well, if I want to get acquainted closer, immersed, so to speak, on Wednesday, you can go to the Vietnamese cafe, for example near the Savelovsky station, and even try national food there. Only such a desire is most likely rare someone.

In Russia, Vietnamese are deluvitis, collected and often prior to hostility. And what kind of sin is, many Russians thousands of guests from Southeast Asia do not cause special sympathies. Such, alas, the harsh truth of our multi-size world, where to strangers, which, as well as all other people, are not at all angels, are at least wary.

Probably the best way to overcome all sorts of prejudices and phobias – to go to Vietnam yourself, to be in the crowd of these smiling, tiny and to the fragility of elegant people. And immediately it turns out that alienation and hostility, so characteristic of Vietnamese emigrants abroad, there is no in their homeland and in risen. On the contrary, a foreign guest will meet openness everywhere, smooth friendly and even some kind of simple, friendly surprise – they say, it is necessary, what people in the world are, but they have not been lazy and they came from that. It is characteristic primarily for small Vietnamese towns and towns, but also by going somewhere in Dalat, Nha Trang, or even in Saigon in the non-sustainable local beer, scored by the natives sitting on low benches, read joyful amazement in the eyes: "Look, a foreigner, and here, to us, went. Need to like it". Visitors happily welcome you, ask where came, offered to enjoy the local snack to beer (in particular, the dried grasshopper or bug) or drink traditional "guilt", Made of rice, who ripped in mineral water (the potion drinks to all the feast of one barrel through the tubes inserted into it), and the serutes are fussing around. Sometimes, however, misunderstandings caused by an essential language and cultural barrier, including in the field of beer traditions. So, in Vietnamese beers, there are often no refrigerators, and the heat stands out of bad things, and in response to the request to bring beers cold, you in the mug bucket a piece of ice. And it is very difficult to explain that beer is now the end. May be friendly smiling, add more ice to the mug.

Here all the time ask myself the question: how such a friendly and goodwill get along with that stubborn fierce, with which Vietnamese almost forty years were fought with the Japanese, the French and the Americans, and all were thrown out. In my opinion, this perseverance as an integral part of a national character is most visibly embodied in Vietnamese velaiks. The services of one such driver happened to use personally. And not exotic for the sake of (I have to go in general, somehow it is somehow not convenient), but we just got lost in the old quarters of Nha Trang. Ricksha took off to take the hotel. He seemed to see a very skinny little elderly man, albeit a housing. We were perplexed on a narrow bench, and then scared: how he, so chlipky, trampled us, not too thin men, and even in the mountain. All the time I wanted to climb him, jump off a wooden structure attached to the bike, and to push it yourself. But all our attempts stopped the decisive gesture of the velaiksha. And he dotted us to the hotel itself, with dignity by taking from amazed clients a specified fee plus generous tips.

Another and, of course, a more significant example of the perseverance of the entire people is a huge complex of underground tunnels in heaps, which is not far from Saigon. The emergence of this impressive structure refers to the end of the 40s. Already then, during the war with the French, Vietnamese partisans began to hide under the ground. Then the war began with America, and in the 60s, the system of underground labyrinths rose to incredible dimensions: the total length of the tunnels located in the three floors was about 300 kilometers! The area was fully controlled by Vietkogovtsy, and for many years they have never managed to take possession of them. And this is despite the fact that the US Army napalm burned down the surrounding jungle, arranged carpet bombing from the air, conducted "Stripping" Tunnels with trained dogs and special military units consisting of military, which called tunnel rats, pooling underground gases. But the partisans were hidden in new, even deeper labyrinths protected by fatal traps from mines and a pointed bamboo, constantly committing daring attacks on the opponent base.

Even wild bees fought on the side of the rebels. The technique is simple, but witty: American army soap threw in the hive. When clean "ji", smelling such soaps, entered the jungle, bees violently attacked them. Yankees in a panic fled.

Today in the pile of quiet and grace. On the once terrible earth – Museum and Memorial. Tourists descend into tunnels, and on their faces is reflected in the genuine amazement: how can you see at least half a day? And this is despite the fact that before all the lazes were significantly already so that only miniature Vietnamese can move on them. Now specifically for foreign tourists tunnels are expanded, and still people of the corpulent in them periodically stuck.

Labyrinths, of course, worthy of attention. But go thousands of kilometers in Vietnam only for them? Yes No, you will tell you, it’s better in the wonderful, raising sensual nightlife Thailand or in very exotic Cambodia. So, immediately let’s say: Vietnam is practically not inferior to these countries. He stretches from north to south (by the way, the locals are convinced that their country is very similar to the bamboo rocker, which bent under the severity of two baskets hanging on its ends), therefore, unlike the same Cambodia, the climatic conditions here much more diverse – from Soft winters in the mountains in the north to year-round luxury summer in the Mekong Delta. All who rested ever in Thailand not at the height of the tourist season (let’s say, in November-March), and, for example, in May-June, I will agree with me that at this time there are no walking on the streets: terrible, cotton sticks! In Vietnam, you can come almost at any time of the year. The main thing is not to get into the rainy season.

And also, of course, the sea … Such an exquisite-turquoise, with transparent water, through it can be seen bottom at the depths of tens of meters. Add gold to the endless sands of Vietnamese beaches, spread along the coast of wondrous silhouettes of high islands, as if conceded from the old eastern watercolors, the silent bays, whose smooth boats are cut with a sail unusual for European eyes … And anyway, no imagination is not enough: all this must be seen. Coastal waters here – a real holiday for divers: fish unearthly colors, bizarre thickets of corals and algae, if desired, you can dry and for pearls.

And do not think that here is only one natural beauty, but about the comfort should be forgotten. Local hotels, at one time erected by more French and American owners, and now carefully renovated, quite capable of improving very discerning holidays. The colonial style of the 30-60s fascinates many guests of the country.

The range of entertainment, however, is victory than, let’s say, in Malaysia or Thailand, but without the traditional pleasures of the type of tennis, scooters, water ski and otherwise you will not. Most great pleasure I personally received in Vietnam from Golf: numerous fields for it are wonderful well maintained and as wonderful cheap. And that here is clearly feeling, it is the powerful potential of the entertainment industry – it is gaining momentum from year to.

Tourists who are accustomed to the turbulent nightlife in Thai bars and clubs, in Vietnam, of course, will be bored: all cafes and bars after midnight. A couple of working establishments will be able to find, but they are not interested in virtue of their archaic. Sex tourism flourishes here, and, according to my observations, more and more western lovers of this case come to the country with such a goal. But it should be noted that the proposal of intimate services here is devoid of the unpleasant pressure, which is completely even seeing in Thailand.

Vietnam over the past year or two turned into a tourist hit: on the streets and beaches – the crowds of the Chinese and the Japanese. We often got here and Europeans together with our compatriots. And oddly enough, the Americans are also returning to the country, where they once shed blood – their own and someone else. I have already spoken about the incredible goodwill of the Vietnamese, today they pour it on and on guests from America, even in veterans of the Vietnam War. Now all foreigners will bring the same heat. But some of them are likely especially: not for nationality, not for the relativeness of ideology and politics, but for … Solid fatness. This love I, owner of an impressive dimensions, felt fully. Move where?in a crowd or stand at a crowded bar of the bar and suddenly feel that someone puts your hand on your belly. In complete bewilder, you start to look around and you see the face with a happy smile face with alkalin eyes. Hand on your belly can belong to the child, and a woman, and an old man, and a decent middle-aged person. And all something touching, long and not clearly speak. Only later, one of the Vietnamese, of course in English, explained to me that his thin compatriots would passionately believe that the fat man is a very good man. Moreover, it is a compatibility of genuine happiness, whose part of which can be obtained, if it comes to his belly. I was at first embarrassed, and then waved my hand: in the end, making people happy is not given to everyone. Even even so ridiculous, from the point of view of the Europeans, in the way.

And it happens that this amazing in many respects the country itself is competently. In Nha Trang, I met a folker – German from the former GDR. Still being a Berlin student, he was carried away by Vietnam and his culture, in the late 80s came here for an internship and remained. Learned the language that for Europeans is almost impossible, I leased a small cafe in Nha Trang and lives, progging in the evening with Vietnamese friends and German-speaking tourists. And in Germany never wants to return. Says she found his happiness.